As Days Go By
by JordanMSmith13
Summary: Now, after a final attempt to protect the last bit of family she has, Jaden finds herself trapped in a misunderstanding. Now sent to Camp Green Lake, can Jaden keep her disguise up? Full Summary Inside. Rated M for later chapters
1. Condemned

**As Days Go By…**

Summary: Jaden has lived a difficult life. Her mother disguising her as a boy to keep her from her father's wrath, her father still abusing their family, and the eventual loss of her mother. Now, after a final attempt to protect the last bit of family she has, Jaden finds herself trapped in a misunderstanding. Now sent to Camp Green Lake, can Jaden keep her disguise up? Or will she find that she really wants to be the girl she never got to be?

Disclaimer: I only own Jaden, Tyler, Jennifer and Hank. Everything else belongs to the author of Holes, Louis Sachar.

* * *

Chapter 1: Condemned

The sun beat relentlessly on the yellow bus driving through the empty desert. The driver, the guard and the passenger all shifted uncomfortably in the hot vehicle. The guard and driver at least had something to drink on them for most of the ride, much to the passenger's dismay.

'_I can't believe I'm stuck here,' _the passenger, Jaden Miller, thought as she stared out the window. (A/N: I will refer to Jaden as 'she' and 'her' in the narrator perspective. When other people address her it'll be with 'him' and 'he')

It'd been just a week ago that Jaden and her little brother Tyler thought to escape their personal hell…

"_Jaden," Tyler whispered, gently shaking his sister awake, "Jaden wake up…"_

_Green eyes slowly opened and focused on the form before her before she sat up, a gasp escaping her lips. Tyler had a black eye and bruises on his arms. _

"_Tyler! How did this? Don't tell me Hank did this to you!" Jaden whispered viciously, her anger radiating off her body in waves._

_Tyler nodded, his eyes watering with his unshed tears. Tyler was a 13 year old boy and a small one at that. Tyler was a premature baby and his body was short and petite. _

"_Jaden, let's get out of here! I'm tired of watching him beat you! I'm tired of being beaten! Please!" Tyler pleaded with his sister._

_Jaden looked at her alarm clock; 3:12 AM. If they left now, they could get far enough away to be safe before Hank woke up from his self induced alcohol coma. _

"_Get your stuff, but only things you need like clothing!" Jaden nodded, grabbing her own knapsack and shoving some clean clothes inside._

A large bump stirred Jaden from her memories and she glanced outside. The bus drove past an obscene amount of holes, eventually reaching a camp at the center.

"We're here," the guard pointed out. The guard had been informed of Jaden's situation, as had the adults at Camp Green Lake, and he treated her with a slight amount of pity.

Jaden nodded and moved to the steps to get off the bus behind the guard when the driver tapped her shoulder, "Be careful there young miss. These boys haven't seen a girl in a while and should they discover your secret, you might end up worse for wear."

Jaden smiled, "Thank you. I'll be careful. Oh, and, thanks for the ride!"

The bus driver nodded and Jaden hopped out of the old bus. The guard guided her to a man's office where she sat down, her green eyes curious as she stared at the man before her.

"Jaden Miller, 17…female," the man blew out some smoke, his fingers holding his cigarette in a surprisingly delicate manner.

"Let's get one thing straight, _Mr._ Miller," the man placed the cigarette back in his mouth, "this is not a Girl Scout Camp. Jaden had to wonder how often he'd used that line, but decided to just sit attentively.

"It says here you're here because you kidnapped and beat your younger brother, now that's interesting. The judge may think they were being merciful sending you here, but you'll soon find out how wrong they were."

Jaden cringed at her 'crime.' _'If it wasn't my word against Hanks, I wouldn't be here!'_ Jaden thought angrily.

"My name is Mr. Sir. You will refer to me as such during your time here," Mr. Sir was so nonchalant about it, it almost seemed as though it were a vacation for her, "Understand?"

"Yes, Mr. Sir," Jaden nodded.

"Because of your unusual circumstances, you'll be accompanied by one of your tent-mates most of the places. You'll get to take showers later at night with the supervision of a counselor or myself. Don't worry, we won't look at ya," Mr. Sir was rather sincere as he explained some small differences she'd face. It wasn't close to special treatment, but more like a safety hazard.

Mr. Sir escorted Jaden to a small cabin where a boy was folding some clothing. He looked up and nodded to Mr. Sir who took Jaden's bag and tossed it to the boy.

"You get two sets of clothing, one for work and one for relaxation. After a few days, your work clothes will be washed and your relaxation cloths become your work clothes," Mr. Sir handed the jade eyed girl the clothing and the boy tossed him her bag, clearing everything inside.

"Go wait outside, I need to give this one a talking to," Mr. Sir glared at the boy who obeyed him without a word.

When the boy was outside Mr. Sir pulled out a box of birth control patches, "Courtesy of the Warden. She doesn't want your 'lady time' to interfere with your time here and it's a last defense against the guys should they find out. I'm going to turn around to let ya change."

Jaden was surprised. Despite knowing she wasn't supposed to get special treatment, Mr. Sir seemed pretty adamant on being respectful to the girl side of her.

"Don't get used to this," Mr. Sir pointed out, staring at the door while the young girl changed, "I'm only being nice right now because you'll soon be faced with your personal hell. After today, you'll be treated like one of the boys."

Jaden glanced back, pulling the jumpsuit over her black wife beater and leaving it unbuttoned, "Thank you for today, then. I'm done changing."

Mr. Sir turned around and eyed Jaden up and down, "You're a bit petite, but with that baggy jumpsuit you look about right. You've got the girls strapped down well, which is good."

Jaden felt slightly disturbed by that comment, but she ignored it, keeping her face calm.

A man suddenly entered the room, his shorts going to his knees, as did his socks, "Jaden Miller?"

Said person nodded, the bangs of her wig bouncing in her face slightly, "You may have done something wrong, Jaden, but you have a chance to repent! I believe in you, Jaden!"

"This is your counselor, Dr. Pendanski," Mr. Sir nodded to the man.

Jaden reached out and shook his hand, "Nice to meet you."

Dr. Pendanski raised an eyebrow. The girl before him was charged with kidnapping and abuse and yet she had manners? Well, he wasn't about to question the decision to send her here and they needed diggers.

"Show her to her tent and introduce her to some of the boys," Mr. Sir ordered, heading out the door ahead of them.

Dr. Pendanski led Jaden out of the room and back into the burning sun. It was a short walk to the tent where two boys stood outside talking to each other.

"Hello boys," Dr. Pendanski greeted with a smile.

The boys looked up, one was a rather tall, attractive boy with black hair and the other was a boy of average height with blonde hair and an ill complexion about him.

"This is your new roommate, Jaden Miller," Dr. Pendanski introduced Jaden, "Jaden, this is Alan and Lewis."

"Man, I told ya to call me Squid and he's Barf Bag," the taller boy pointed out.

"They all have nicknames, but I prefer the names society will recognize them by. Alan, I need you to watch out for Jaden."

The boy eyed Jaden up and down, slowly chewing the toothpick in his mouth, "He is rather girly ain't he?"

Barf Bag chuckled and nodded, "I think he's as petite as Zero, just taller than him."

Squid laughed, "Don't worry, Mom, I'll watch out for him."

Dr. Pendanski gave Squid a look before patting Jaden's shoulder and walking away. After he was gone, Squid eyed Jaden again, "Man, of course we get the girly-guy."

Jaden rolled her eyes, "Sorry?"

Squid sighed and led her into the tent, "You can sleep here. That's Zigzag and that's Zero."

Zigzag was the tallest boy in their tent, with crazy blonde hair. Zero, on the other hand, was the smallest boy she'd seen in the entire camp. He glanced at her before rolling over, his back to her.

Zigzag got up and eyed Jaden as Squid had, "Well he's quite the pretty boy isn't he?"

"Yeah, man, Barf Bag and I just talked about that," Squid smirked, "I'm supposed to watch his back while he adjusts."

Zigzag laughed, "Good luck with that one. He's so dainty, it'll take him forever to finish a hole."

Jaden set her stuff down next to her bed and sat down, the boys had changed their topic from her to something that had happened at camp the other day. Barf Bag sat across from her on his bed and smiled, "Don't take what anyone says here too seriously. We're all just a bunch of tired guys with nothing better to do."

Jaden smiled, "Thanks, man."

Three boys walked into the tent and paused when they spotted the new 'guy.'

The boy with glasses, though Jaden reasoned they couldn't actually help his vision, stared at her, "Who's this guy?'

"This is Jaden, new guy," Squid summed up her existence in so few words, "Jaden, this is X-Ray, Armpit and Magnet."

X-Ray crossed his arms across his chest, "Huh, so we get the weak, girly guy? Figures, Mom would push him on us."

The other boys laughed and went about their business. Jaden sighed and glanced at Barf Bag who shrugged.

Her emerald eyes scoped out the boys and she had to admit, they didn't seem like such bad guys. Barf Bag already proven himself friendly enough and Squid wasn't so bad either. Actually, Jaden couldn't deny that she found Squid rather attractive. He was taller than she was and had rather beautiful chocolate brown eyes. Zigzag was also attractive to her as well.

However, she knew she could never even consider being attracted to anyone in the camp, what with her hiding her gender and all. No, this was a ship that'd sailed before and she always stood at the docks watching it sail away.

Armpit was the boy Jaden was most wary of, not only because she was rather confident that if he fell on her he'd crush her, but because she was fast to learn why he was called Armpit.

It didn't matter that she'd lived a guy's life her whole life, smells just crossed a certain boundary for her.

"Let's go get some dinner," Squid pulled Jaden out of her thought when he hit her with his hat.

"Right," Jaden got up and followed him, her eyes keeping off of his face.

The mess hall was a rather large room and each table was occupied by a specific tent. Jaden followed Squid obediently, keeping her eyes low and mouth shut. The less she had to lower the tone of her voice the more her throat would thank her. Jaden used to scream to keep her voice hoarse, but she doubted she'd get such a chance in this camp.

The food that was slopped onto her tray made her eye twitch. Whatever it was, it surprised her that it didn't move or try to escape her tray.

"You sit here," Zigzag scooted over and let her set her tray down between him and Barf Bag.

X-Ray eyed her and smirked, "Well, since you just got to lounge around all day, you mind giving me your bread would you?"

Jaden instantly slapped his hand away, "You want me to be strong enough to dig tomorrow, don't ya?"

The other D-Tent boys stared at her, agape as she just looked at X-Ray calmly. Said boy laughed and nodded, "Alright, I get that. You're pretty smart, for such a girly-guy."

Jaden smirked, "What I lack in looks, and all that jazz."

The boys laughed, pleased that their new roommate had a sense of humor. The dinner went okay as Jaden quickly realized the food actually had no taste. It was still disturbing in texture, but tolerable.

The dinner consisted of the group discussing the 'horrors of digging' with Jaden who'd shrug their comments away. Though, she was terrified on the inside as the heat made her tired without any labor, much less digging a five foot deep by five foot wide hole all day.

"So what'd they get you here for anyways, Jaden?" X-Ray finally asked, pushing his glasses up his nose.

Jaden physically paused and he eyes narrowed into a glare as she thought back to her day at court.

"_Jaden Miller, please stand," the judge, a family friend, called._

_Jaden stood and took a deep breath as the Judge commenced the hearing. Jaden's father was on the opposing side as Jaden had blamed him for the beatings and the need to run away._

"_Jaden," the attorney paced in front of her, "you have accused your father, Hank Miller, as the true offender here. Would you like to explain the details one more time?"_

"_That man has always been a heavy drinker, even my mother knew that. It was only a matter of time before he started hitting us after Tyler and my mother died. The night we ran away, Hank had beaten Tyler. My brother came to me at 3AM asking me to run away with him, to get us out of there," Jaden explained, hoping the attorney would hear the truth in her voice._

"_Mmhmm," the attorney paced a bit more, "Now, you claim your father beat both you and Tyler, yet you have no injuries present on your body."_

"_He hasn't hit me in a while. Tyler's younger, an easier target. I started resisting, so Hank moved on to beating Tyler when I couldn't defend him."  
_

_The attorney allowed Jaden to sit and called Hank to the stand. The man smirked smugly and glared at Jaden._

"_Mr. Miller, please give us your side of the story."_

_Hank took a deep breath, "It's true that I've been drinking a good bit ever since my wife died. Bless her soul; she was a beautiful woman, inside and out. I wasn't the only one affected by the death, of course. Tyler just stopped talking around the house and at school and Jaden got violent. He started threatening anything that spoke up against him, sometimes it didn't take any provoking. When his mother died, something snapped in him! I didn't know what to do! So, the night he took Tyler away, I was in a deep sleep, exhausted from my day at work. When I woke up, Tyler's bed was empty and so was Jaden's. I panic, called the police immediately and waited, hoping young Tyler was okay."_

_The attorney nodded, "Where did Tyler's injuries originate from, then, Mr. Miller?"_

_Mr. Miller sighed, "I don't have any proof, but I have to believe Jaden is the cause. With Tyler being so silent, it'd be easy for Jaden to get angry at him."_

_Jaden's mouth hung open as Hank smirked, a look of cold hate in his eyes._

"_That's all…" The attorney passed the judge a look and returned to his table._

"Yo, earth to Jaden?" Squid snapped his fingers in front of her face.

"Sorry, ummmm, I was accused of beating and kidnapping my younger brother," Jaden finally stated, moving the 'food' around her tray.

"What?" the boys exclaimed, surprised that the skinny boy in front of them was here for abuse and kidnapping.

"No way, come on, you seem more like the 'five finger discount' type," Magnet pointed out.

"Yeah, I mean, you can't really expect us to believe that's what happened right?" X-Ray asked, his eyes analyzing Jaden's every movement.

"Believe it or not, but don't forget I also said 'accused.' I never owned up to actually do anything," Jaden stood up and placed her tray where the other kids were putting their after they'd finished.

She returned to the tent first and sighed, picking up a book she'd brought; Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Her only escape being her romance novel. While she couldn't experience love with her current situation, Jaden found some joy in imagining herself as the female lead in some books. It was her only peace in the world. Her only time where she was herself…

* * *

A/N: So… I watched "Holes" for the past few days before I went to sleep (I don't know why but it sounded like a good idea.) and I realized how much I loved some of the characters! I haven't read the book in a long time, so most of my details are based on the movie version (which is rather close to the book). Anyways, reviews are greatly appreciated!


	2. First hole is the hardest

**As Days Go By…**

Summary: Jaden has lived a difficult life. Her mother disguising her as a boy to keep her from her father's wrath, her father still abusing their family, and the eventual loss of her mother. Now, after a final attempt to protect the last bit of family she has, Jaden finds herself trapped in a misunderstanding. Now sent to Camp Green Lake, can Jaden keep her disguise up? Or will she find that she really wants to be the girl she never got to be?

Disclaimer: I only own Jaden, Tyler, Jennifer and Hank. Everything else belongs to the author of Holes, Louis Sachar.

* * *

Chapter 2: "First hole is the hardest" my ass!

Jaden had to hide her book quickly when the boys returned to the tent. She had stashed it away in her knapsack with the birth control patches and turned over, pretending to be asleep.

"Looks like he's out," Zigzag observed, walking to his cot.

"Yeah, man, he's gotta be one of the saddest excuses for a guy I've seen in a while," X-Ray stated, tossing something onto the ground.

Jaden remained silent, her hopes wavering as the boys continued to discuss how pathetic she was behind her back. It wasn't until Barf Bag spoke up that Jaden thought she'd prefer jail at this point.

"Come on, he's not that bad," Barf Bag glanced at Jaden's back, a sympathetic look in his eyes, "I think we're not giving him any credit."

"Maybe Barf Bag's right," Zigzag piped in, slightly accepting the petite addition to their group.

Zero looked at Jaden and could see her eyes were open, he shot her a sympathetic look before turning his back to her. Jaden could barely sleep when the guys had dozed off. All the sounds in the night were foreign to her, making it hard to get comfortable. She was used to the loud snoring Armpit made as Hank had just as bad if not worse problems with snoring. He also exhibited as much gas as some of the boys did during the night.

The problem Jaden found was with the lack of contact. Tyler always asked to lay with her lately, hoping it'd spare him beatings from their father. Jaden's eyes watered as she thought of her younger brother.

She looked around and got up after she was confident that the boys were all deep asleep. Jaden was breathless when she saw all the stars. Without city lights, the stars were visible and Jaden felt as though she were in a dream with how many there were.

She sat down on a bench outside the mess hall and sighed. Her emerald eyes watered and this time the tears rolled down her cheeks, "Damnit!"

Her voice was a hushed whisper, but she didn't make a move to wipe her tears away. She let her tears fall as she thought of her brother. If she got back home in two years and found that Hank had injured him, she'd kill Hank. Jail or not, she was tired of Hank's way of weaseling through life.

"Jaden?" a tired voice asked. Barf Bag came into view and he rubbed his eyes, making sure he was seeing right.

Jaden glanced at him, her tired eyes stained with tears, not really caring if he saw her crying. He sat down next to her and patted her shoulder, "You were awake weren't you? When the guys were ragging on you?"

Finding an excuse to be upset, Jaden nodded, rubbing the tears away, "I just didn't think they thought that."

Barf Bag nodded, "Yeah they can be great friends, but they'll turn on you just as fast. Listen, just keep your head high. Once you get a nickname, you're in."

"Why are you so nice, Barf Bag?" Jaden asked, her green eyes piercing his blue ones. (A/N: Anyone actually know what color Barf Bag's eyes were?)

"I just know how it was to be the new guy," he replied nonchalantly.

Jaden sighed, "Well, we should go to sleep. Long day tomorrow, right?"

Barf Bag nodded and smiled, walking back to their tent. Jaden was relieved to find a friend in Barf Bag, but it bothered her that the guys would be so adamant on testing her.

Jaden jolted away when a recorded trumpet played from speakers near everyone's tents. The other guys were getting up, their jumpsuits on and buttoned. She kicked off her blanket and slowly followed the guys to the shovel shed. Squid tossed her a shovel and guided her to the digging site.

He pointed out where she'd be digging for the day and watched her struggle with the first dig. She stabbed her shovel into the ground, her right foot kicking the blade of the shovel into the ground further, but getting it back out was the problem.

Squid adjusted the toothpick in his mouth as he scoffed, starting his own hole. The boys watched Jaden dig, interested in how the girly-boy would do with such hard labor. When she was able to reach the softer dirt below the surface, the guys lost interest and focused on their holes.

Jaden could feel the burning on her hands as blisters started to form. Her muscles ached and she'd barely started. The sun was unrelenting on her body as she worked. By the time the water truck came by, Jaden was a good bit behind the boys.

Squid came over and held out a hand to help her out of the hole, but when he gripped her hand she winced in pain. He flipped the hand over and examined her blisters, "Man, you got cut up pretty bad."

"What doesn't kill you, right?" Jaden forced a smile, trying to look strong. Squid nodded, a smirk on his face as he put her at the back of the water line.

"How's it going Miller?" Mr. Sir called as he filled up X-Ray's canteen.

"It's alright," Jaden called back, trying to ignore the pain her body felt.

Magnet patted her on the back, "Don't worry man, first hole's the hardest."

Jaden nodded and sighed, "Well, can't say I've never been in pain before. This will go away over time."

Mr. Sir nodded, grabbing Magnet's canteen as the line progressed forward, "That's right. Everything turns to calluses."

Jaden reached Mr. Sir and he examined her bloodied hands as he filled her canteen, "Looks like the shovel's biting at you pretty bad there."

"Yeah, but as I said, I'll adjust."

"Well aren't you the spirited one?" Mr. Sir handed her her canteen and watched her return to her hole. She took a few sips of water, wiser than to chug the entire thing right away, and picked up her shovel. She picked up her pace a bit; sweat beading down her face as she pushed her body to its limits.

It was shortly after the lunch truck came by that Zero finished his hole. He passed Jaden, nodding at her in a way that Jaden thought was meant to say 'keep going, you've got it.'

The other boys finished up one by one and each returned to camp at their pace. Jaden was the last done and she coughed as she reached the requirements for the hole.

"Finally," Jaden mumbled to herself, using her height to get out of the hole.

She slowly marched back to camp, her body aching with each step. When she reached the tent she found it was empty and the boys had gone to the mess hall. Jaden turned to leave, but found that it was really too hard to move. If she didn't get proper rest, she wouldn't be able to do anything tomorrow, much less actually dig another hole.

"Damnit," Jaden whispered, her body going limp against the cot, "I can be as strong as these boys."

Jaden was barely awake was Zigzag entered the tent, checking to see if she'd come back yet.

"So you were here," Zigzag knelt down next to her, slapping her cheek lightly, "Wake up."

Jaden opened her eyes, "I was awake when you walked in."

"Come on, you need to eat. If I don't bring you back to the mess hall then the rest of the guys will come here and throw you into the cold showers."

Jaden blinked at him, "Alright, I'm up."

Zigzag watched her strain against her stiff muscles, slowly standing. He raised an eyebrow and made sure she didn't fall while walking to the mess. Zigzag, feeling a bit merciful, told Jaden to just go sit down while he got the food.

Jaden sat next to Barf Bag again, her eyes droopy and her shoulders sagging. It looked like she had weights dragging her down, slowly pulling her into the ground.

"Well, one down," Barf Bag smiled, trying to cheer her up.

A light chuckle passed her lips and she forced energy to appear in her, "Exactly. It wasn't so bad after all."

The boys just looked at her, surprised that she managed to muster up enough energy to even smile.

"I have to admit, you're a sad excuse for a tough guy, but you got something in ya," X-Ray nodded at Jaden, slightly proud that she was so determined to look strong.

All she managed was a nod as Zigzag set a tray of food in front of her. She ate rather eagerly, despite how tired she was. Squid took the time to escort her to the showers, expecting her to jump in one and clean off immediately. However, Jaden eyed the shower hopefully before turning to Squid, "Anything else?"

"Listen, Mom told me to watch you, and you can barely stand on your own two feet. The last thing I want is for you to get bitten by some yellow-spotted lizard in the shower."

"Yellow-spotted lizard?" Jaden asked, her eyebrows lifting in curiosity.

Squid smirked, "They didn't tell you? Well, if you think rattlesnakes are bad, you've got another thing coming. If you get bitten by a yellow-spotted lizard, you're dead."

Jaden stared at Squid, wondering how true the story was before she turned and sighed, "Come on, Squid, I can handle a shower on my own. If I'm not back at the tent in five minutes, you can come out and get me."

Squid nodded and headed back, ignoring how much Jaden wanted privacy. When the ebony haired girl glanced around she spotted one of the counselors in a doorway. He nodded to her and turned around, giving her some privacy.

She stripped down; her orange jumpsuit came off first, then her wife beater. She was left in her chest bindings, boxers and panties. When Jaden had a close call at school one day with her pants sagging, she discovered that placing boxers over her panties didn't look unnatural and it played things off normally.

Jaden finished stripping down, her body happy to be free of the layers of clothing. She removed her wig last, allowing her long hair to drape over her shoulders. The water hit her in a collision she imagined was similar to the iceberg and the Titanic; cold, sudden and frightening. Her voice let out a quiet yelp, but she quickly calmed down, hastily washing her hair before the water shut off.

When she finished, Jaden dried off in the shower stall and put her cloths back on, her relaxation suit replacing her work suit. The cold water had woken her up enough to make it back to the tent without struggle, but once she saw the cot, she almost danced for joy.

The boys couldn't help but watch her drop her stuff next to her bed before collapsing onto the small cot.

"Man, I don't know how you'll get through tomorrow," Squid pointed out, grabbing her attention.

"Hmmm?" Jaden turned to him, her eyes soft as she started to doze.

Squid glanced at Zigzag and they shared a confused look. Just how feminine could one guy be?

Zigzag shook off the strange feeling he and Squid got from the soft expression in Jaden's eyes, "Some say the first hole is the hardest, right? Wrong. Second hole is the hardest. You're tired and sore from the first hole and you have to do it all over again."

Jaden groaned, her eyes closing tightly, "This has to be a nightmare."

"Hey, now, where's that fighting spirit you had not too long ago?" X-Ray teased. Armpit nodded, chuckling at the frail boy.

"Yeah, man, what happened to that 'it wasn't so bad' attitude?"

Jaden sighed, "It's still here."

Barf Bag patted Jaden's head, feeling the wig shift under his touch, catching his attention. Jaden, also having felt the wig shift, opened her eyes and locked onto Barf Bag. He shrugged and went to his cot.

When she was sure the boys were asleep, Jaden sat up and rushed to fix her wig. She'd been lazy with putting it back on over her wet hair. Typically, she didn't like putting it on over wet hair, but she had no choice.

The next day, Jaden found Zigzag's words to be true. The second hole was far worse than the first. She was sore before she even started.

"Oh, my God," Jaden mumbled to herself as she struggled against her own muscles.

Each blow to the earth felt like a blow to her arms, her shoulders and her back. Jaden knew the boys were snickering at her, but she did manage to keep a steady pace.

Jaden winced as another blister opened on her left hand, the pus oozing onto the shovel. Ignoring the pain, Jaden continued at a steady pace until the water truck arrived.

"Any better the second time round?" Mr. Sir called to Jaden. It seemed he'd talk to her for the first few days digging.

Jaden smiled, "You got that right."

Squid smirked back at Jaden, impressed with her spirit. She was able to keep pace with Magnet so far and he wasn't exactly slow. Even if she fell behind in the last stretch, it was impressive.

Barf Bag, pondering if the previous night's events had happened kept glancing at her. Her short hair danced in the wind, not daring to lift or shift on her head. Perhaps he'd imagined feeling something move.

"Hey, Barf Bag, I know he's rather pretty, but get back to work," Mr. Sir called out to the boy.

The other guys laughed, even Jaden chuckled, as they all resumed digging their holes. When the lunch truck came, Jaden, physically exhausted, pushed to the truck, grabbing a sandwich and an apple. Jaden sat by her hole eating slowly, taking time to relax her muscles.

Squid and Zigzag plopped down in the dirt next to her, smirking at her as they did so.

"You've got a lot of spunk, you know that?" Zigzag shook his head, his smirk never fading.

"Yeah, we all know how tired you are, but just keep pushing forward. I gotta admit, I didn't expect much from you when you first got here, but you're alright," Squid agreed.

X-Ray walked over, "I don't know where you get it from, but you got some spirit in you. If anyone from another tent bothers you, just call for us."

Although she hadn't received a nickname yet, Jaden felt a small rush of joy and butterflies at the compliments. Who knew her stubborn nature would end up getting praised?

Barf Bag, witnessing the event, smiled at her.

The day ended and Jaden finished just shortly after Magnet who decided to wait for her. He helped her out of the hole and walked with her back to camp; discussing better methods to digging so her hands wouldn't get so scraped up.

When they reached the mess hall, the group was rather impressed that Jaden had kept pace all day with Magnet. They talked with her at dinner energetically before heading over to the Rec Room. Or rather, the Wreck Room.

Jaden laughed and watched her tent mates play pool against each other while she sat on a nearby couch. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad at Camp Green Lake after all?

* * *

Well, there's chapter 2! Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated!

^-^ also, I'm kinda stuck on what to nickname Jaden. I've got two I'm stuck between: Spirit and Sunshine. Now, I know they're feminine, but that's the point. Since the guys constantly comment on how feminine she is (while thinking she's a guy of course), I figured them giving her a feminine nickname would be normal. Spirit would be a reference to most of what the guys mention in this chapter, the fact that she keeps her chin up and keeps going. Sunshine would be that she is always able to smile and find some happiness even in their hell of a camp. Anyways, if you like one over the other send me a message or leave a review with your opinion!


	3. Discovered

**As Days Go By…**

Summary: Jaden has lived a difficult life. Her mother disguising her as a boy to keep her from her father's wrath, her father still abusing their family, and the eventual loss of her mother. Now, after a final attempt to protect the last bit of family she has, Jaden finds herself trapped in a misunderstanding. Now sent to Camp Green Lake, can Jaden keep her disguise up? Or will she find that she really wants to be the girl she never got to be?

Disclaimer: I only own Jaden, Tyler, Jennifer and Hank. Everything else belongs to the author of Holes, Louis Sachar.

* * *

Chapter 3: Discovered?

It'd been four days since Jaden had arrived, and she had to admit. She loved fresh washed clothes. Whether they were the scratchy jumpsuits or not, the smell of just washed fabric made her smile. Her whole time at Camp Green Lake was rather simple now. Wake up, avoid the disturbing breakfast set out, dig a hole at the pace of Magnet, go back to camp, chill with the boys, take a private shower and go to sleep.

After the moderately close call with Barf Bag, however, Jaden was more cautious about being fully in disguise before facing the boys. She even lost sleep over it, trying to ensure her secret was kept safe.

As she dug her whole, her body's stiffness starting to ebb away, Jaden glanced over to Barf Bag. He was turned away from her, his focus on his whole. She glanced to the other holes and her eyes caught with Zigzag's. He paused in his shoveling, leaning against the tool of the trade, and smiled. Jaden raised an eyebrow and shook her head, a grin slowly growing across her face.

She had to remember, she was a boy here. Romance, love, anything like that was forbidden to her. Jaden ignored the stirring she felt when she got a smile or a smirk from Squid or Zigzag. They had become her closest friends, along with Barf Bag, at Camp Green Lake so it was hard to not feel something for her friends.

"Hey, Jaden, the water truck is here," Barf Bag suddenly strolled next to her hole, offering her a helping hand.

"Thanks," Jaden smiled, and walked with him to the water line, taking her place behind Zero. He looked back at her hands and saw she'd wrapped then with a torn shirt.

Jaden, seeing where his eyes were focused sighed, "Well, it's been getting better, but my hands will take a little while to heal."

Zero nodded and turned back around, waiting to get his bottle filled with water. Mr. Sir gave his life philosophy for the day before he got in his car. Jaden sat, her feet in the hole, and took a swig of water. Slowly, she unbuttoned her jumpsuit and tied the sleeves around her waist. Her wife beater drooped with sweat as she worked away in the hot sun.

"Hey, Jaden," Zigzag called from his spot next to her, "You seem to be picking up on this rather fast."

"Well, I tried digging to China one day, but I only got so far," Jaden smirked as Zigzag chuckled.

Although she couldn't let herself fall for anyone, effective or not, it was nice to have friends like the boys of D-Tent. Most of the other tents saw her as a weak, fragile boy or they all out refused to acknowledge her. It reminded her of how Hank treated her, much to her displeasure.

"_Awww, look at the poor boy," Hank cooed, a cruel look in his eyes. He raised his hand and let it go, his knuckles coming in contact with Jaden's face._

_She fell to her hands and knees and looked up at him as he continued to try and provoke her, "See, that is your place! On the ground in front of me! Get used to it!"_

_Jaden hung her head, feeling defeated, but it was then that she spotted Tyler cowering in the nearby doorway, his eyes wide with unshed tears for her. Defiantly, the young woman rose to her feet and clenched her fists, "You're wrong, Hank."_

"_Excuse me?" Hank raised his hand again threateningly._

"_I will not bow to you," Jaden turned and went to her room, grabbing Tyler on the way, and locking the door._

"You space out a lot, don't ya?" Zigzag asked.

Scratching her head, Jaden laughed, "Yeah, I'm just thinking about stuff that happened back at home."

"Why?" Zigzag's tone took a turn, almost becoming negative.

"I guess I can't help it," Jaden replied with a shrug, "Despite what y'all think about me, my family life wasn't all that great."

This caught the attention of X-Ray and Jaden prepared for the blow to her confidence they'd throw, "Really now? So, you're saying that, like all of us, your childhood wasn't great? Alright, so you've got family problems, big deal."

Shaking her head, she went back to work. Jaden found herself eating alone and almost in isolation after her comments earlier. She'd managed to work her way back to square one in the course of one afternoon.

"Great," Jaden sighed, glancing over to the boys who were talking to each other around X-Ray's hole.

Zero, however, walked over to Jaden and sat down. He didn't talk to her, but he sat there with her, giving her company.

"Thanks, Zero," Jaden smiled, accidentally letting a bit of her girl-half shine through.

He nodded and they ate their meal in silence, the other boys occasionally throwing them some glances before returning to their own conversations. It wasn't terribly long before Magnet and Jaden finished last and started to head back to camp.

"Hey, you know we all have some issues with family right?" Magnet asked as they walked.

Jaden focused on him, her green eyes shining in the sunlight, "Yeah, I figured, but really? Didn't you all assume I had a rather spoiled life, thus why I was so weak? I had everything done for me?"

Magnet sighed, "You heard that, huh? We were just joking around, you know."

"I've heard everything you all say about me," Jaden mumbled, barely loud enough for Magnet to hear. He remained silent the rest of the walk, suddenly solemn about how Jaden knew they'd been talking about her behind her back and the details of those conversations.

Putting her shovel away, Jaden debated whether or not to head to the Wreck Room or the tent. After an inner-debate, Jaden decided to just go to the tent. It was boring, sure, but probably less hostile if it were empty.

Sure enough, the tent was completely empty. It wasn't safe to read the book when she wasn't sure when the others would be returning so Jaden just rested on her bed. She had too much time before dinner and the Wreck Room was probably occupied by the entire D-Tent and some of the other less friendly groups.

"Wait, why am I running?" Jaden asked herself suddenly, "If I want them to accept me, then I can't hide in here."

Finally getting the nerve to keep facing the guys even when they were angry with her, Jaden headed over to the Wreck Room, the guys were scattered about playing their games with other 'campers.' She walked into the room and sat near the pool table, watching Zigzag and Squid play against two kids from C-Tent.

While she was minding her own business, one of the bigger guys was pushed onto her. Angered by the sudden lack of personal space, Jaden shoved him off, with some effort, and glared, "Hey! Watch it!"

The guy turned and sized Jaden up, laughing as he did so, "Or what? What are you gonna do?"

The boys of D-Tent had stopped dead in their games to witness what was going on. After registering who was who and what'd happened, the all had surprise clearly written on their faces.

Jaden glared at the guy who was about the same size as her father. He raised a hand and lowered it quickly.

Half of the guys in the room expected Jaden to move out of the way, but the blow hit full force and she was sent to the ground. The D-Tent boys jumped up, ready to defend their tent-mate as the boy laughed, "You're really as weak as you seem."

Jaden, slowly picked herself up, surprising the boys of her tent, but most of all, the boy who'd hit her. She took a deep breath, a bruise already forming on her cheek, as she straightened out.

The boy raised his hand again and was about to try and 'teach her her place' when Zigzag, Squid and Armpit took a stand around Jaden.

"Hey man, we don't want the warden coming in here and nailing each of us," Armpit explained, standing in front of Jaden, his large form shielding her.

"Yeah, the last thing any of us need is trouble with the warden," Squid, who had taken a place next to Jaden, said casually.

Zigzag was on the other side of Jaden, just watching what the large boy intended to do.

The guy nodded, respecting that they were defending their tent-mate and that they had good points, "Yeah, whatever, just tell that girly-guy to watch what they say."

Jaden stared at him defiantly as he strode away, but she felt a sudden rush of pain as Squid tenderly poked the bruise on her cheek, "Hey!"

"Sorry, but I needed to see how bad it was. It doesn't look too bad, but I guess it must feel worse than it looks," he explained, putting his toothpick back in him mouth.

"That was just plain stupid. We're you trying to get yourself killed?" Armpit asked in a hushed tone.

Jaden rolled her eyes, "Yeah, it was my goal to die here. Besides, I've taken worse crap from someone his size."

Squid sighed and escorted Jaden back to the tent where he paused once they were inside, "You're crazy."

"How am I crazy?"

"Well, you just picked a fight with the biggest kid here," Squid started, "Even went as far as to stand up after he hit you."

Jaden, fully knowledgeable about the effects of standing up after being hit by someone, chuckled, "Trust me, Squid, I knew what I was doing. I won't bow down in front of someone like him."

Squid raised an eyebrow, "I don't get you."

"I'd hope not," Jaden smirked, "I'd be in deep trouble if you did."

Squid and Jaden went to the mess hall after that and the boys in D-Tent both scolded and praised Jaden for her stunt in the Wreck Room. They had been torn between being impressed that she'd stood up for herself and took a hard blow like that and was able to stand, but still irked that she'd gotten into a fight for no reason.

After dinner, the boys, having already taken showers, returned to the tent while Jaden grabbed her change in clothes and headed over to the showers. As she turned on the water, the cold rushing across her body, Jaden heard someone enter the stall next to hers. Her eyes went wide as she knew the risk of being caught.

"Is that you, Jaden?" Barf Bag's voice reached her ears.

"U-uh, yeah," she tried to keep her voice steady as she watched her hair hastily.

"I figured. You're the only one who takes such late showers, but I can see why. The stars are amazing!"

Jaden nodded, hoping he couldn't see her. She finished just before he did, but the time it took her to get back into her disguise was far longer than the time it took him to get dressed.

"Hey, you okay in there Jaden?" Barf Bag asked, trying to poke his head over the stall door. When he managed to successfully do so, Barf Bag gasped.

Jaden knew she was caught, and asked Barf Bag to wait until she was done. He did so, awkwardly waiting for her to come out of the shower, her appearance that of a guy's again.

"Ah, perhaps we should go see Mr. Sir," Jaden guided him in his daze-like state to the office. Mr. Sir opened it and, seeing Barf Bag's state, assumed what was going on.

"So, someone found out did they?" Mr. Sir asked, throwing Barf Bag off as he figured the adults at camp didn't know either.

"Yeah, he peeked over the shower door," Jaden explained.

"Well, Barf Bag, it seems we got ourselves a situation, now," Mr. Sir stared at the boy.

"Can someone explain what's going on?" Barf Bag asked, wanting to understand exactly why there was a girl in the camp and why the adults knew.

Jaden took a breath, her feminine voice coming through, "My entire life, I've lived as a guy. My dad wanted a son so bad that my mom disguised me as a boy, not that I blame her. The judge at my hearing was a family friend who knew my situation, but when she offered me this instead of jail, I had to take it."

Barf Bag eyed Jaden up and down and he finally pieced a few questions together, "Then, how are you hiding your…well…"

The gesture he made at his chest made Mr. Sir scoff and Jaden laugh a very light and airy laugh, "I have chest bindings. Not comfortable in the slightest, but effective. Barf Bag, the boys can't find out my gender. If they do, then I might end up in trouble here. Most of these guys haven't seen a girl in months, years even."

Mr. Sir nodded, "So it looks like you'll be taking Squid's old job, Barf Bag. It'll be safer to have someone escorting her around if they know the secret."

Jaden wanted to protest the idea as having Squid around her often made the girl in her happy, but the boy she'd grown up being crushed that thought in an instant.

"I don't know how long this will last, though," Mr. Sir sighed, "you're getting more feminine."

Barf Bag took the time to eye his friend and realized Mr. Sir was right. She'd already looked pretty feminine when she got here a few days ago, but she was starting to look more and more like the girl she was.

"What happened to your cheek?" Mr. Sir suddenly asked, surprising Jaden.

"Just an accident. One of the boys from another tent fell on my in the Wreck Room and hit my face in the process," Jaden sugar coated the story, leaving it rather believable.

Mr. Sir nodded and told them to go back to the tent and to tell Squid the change in duty. It was something Jaden wasn't looking forward to, but she knew she had to.

"So, if you're really-," Barf Bag started, but Jaden shot him a look when they were outside. It wasn't safe to discuss her situation outside of a private setting.

"Well, you know, then," Barf Bag lowered his voice to a whisper, "does that mean you're into some of the guys?"

Jaden sighed, "I can't. I've never been allowed to do such, and I can't start now."

"It doesn't mean you don't though," Barf Bag pointed out. Jaden had a feeling that now Barf Bag knew, he'd thought through her days here and came to connect the way she either looked at or talked to some of the guys, namely Squid and Zigzag, and realized she might like them more than she could.

He was right, she'd admit. Just because she couldn't like them didn't mean she didn't, but acknowledging that only made things harder on herself. They reached the tent and Jaden hopped straight into bed. The boys asked what'd taken them so long, but Barf Bag explained that Mr. Sir asked to see Jaden about the fight so he'd gone with her.

Jaden fell asleep listening to them discuss the fight earlier that day and how they hadn't expected her to get back up after being hit so hard.

Jaden dreamt of being a girl and all the things she wished she could partake in. It was a pleasant dream, but a dream was all it was.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed! sorry it was shorter! It took me a while to write it because I just couldn't put how I wanted Barf Bag to discover her secret in the right way. So... I'm satisfied with this...

Reviews are appreciated!


	4. Stop Treating Me Like a Girl!

**As Days Go By…**

Disclaimer: I only own my 4 original characters. Everything else belongs to the author of Holes, Louis Sachar.

Chapter 4: Stop Treating Me Like a Girl!

* * *

The sun felt hotter as it beat down on the backs of the campers. Jaden particularly felt the increased intensity of the sun's rays. She found herself pausing more often in an attempt to keep her body from tiring out faster. It was during one of these pauses that Jaden first noticed Barf Bag's watchful stare. Initially, she thought nothing of it, but after catching the glances he threw her way more than five times, Jaden found it bothersome.

The other boys were sure to notice something was off if Barf Bag wouldn't stop watching her like a hawk watches its mean scurry about in a field. She knew he was trying to be attentive and do his job, but it really was tiring having him watch her so closely.

During the water break, Squid shoved his way past Jaden. She sighed inwardly and resigned herself to taking the negative interaction she'd be sharing with Squid for, well, the rest of her two year sentence. Barf Bag knew nothing of why the two were suddenly hostile with each other, but only that it started after she told Squid he didn't need to look out for her anymore.

"You alright?" Barf Bag asked, his voice lowered to a whisper as they headed to the line.

Jaden's eyes were momentarily sad before she took a deep breath and perked up, "Of course I am!"

Barf Bag nodded and went to his spot in the middle of the line, near Squid who just glanced his way before shaking his head. When Jaden reached Mr. Sir, he glanced to the boys, "You getting girly feelings for these fellas?"

Jaden winced, not really finding the effort worth it to lie to Mr. Sir seeing as how he was in charge of her well being as a female, "Nothing I can't handle."

"Mmhmm, that's good. We can't have the other boys finding out your secret now, can we?"

"Yes, Mr. Sir," Jaden said, her tone slightly more remorseful than she intended. It was strange that of all the times to get upset over boys it was when she was literally surrounded by them and at a juvenile delinquents' camp. There might even be some irony in that, but Jaden was too tired to really dwell on it.

Barf Bag was her lunch companion for the day and he kept going on about how it wasn't fair that the heat always made him lose his lunch and sometimes even his dinner. Although Jaden liked having Barf Bag as a friend, there was a fine line she'd preferred to draw.

Having quickly discovered a way to tune out Barf Bag, Jaden reflected on some news Dr. Pendanski had brought her that morning, explaining there was a letter for her. Jaden, though, couldn't think of who'd actually write to her as Tyler wouldn't be given the chance with Hank watching his every move after the running away stunt. (A/N: in Ch 2, I believe it was ch 2, I accidentally had a typo that said Tyler and Jaden's mother died. Tyler is alive, in case that was really unclear. I don't know how that typo happened, but I had to clear it up)

The day seemed agonizingly slow for Jaden and she found herself mumbling words of encouragement to herself, trying to keep her mood up. At one point, she was sure some of the other guys had heard her and thought she'd lost her mind in the heat. Jaden then wondered if it was the heat that'd made the day seem longer and work harder. It easily could have been, in all honesty.

"Hey, you finished before Magnet," Barf Bag called out to Jaden. It was after realizing Barf Bag had never left that Jaden found herself angry with the boy. He was treating her more and more like a little girl that couldn't even go to the bathroom without supervision.

Climbing out of the hole, Jaden angrily picked up her shovel. Barf Bag reach to take it from her, but she pulled it back swiftly, accidentally hitting the wooden end of the shovel against her bruised cheek.

"Damnit!" Jaden shouted, dropping everything to cover the sensitive injury.

Barf Bag was at her side immediately, trying to pry her hands away from the black and blue skin, but Jaden refused to allow him to examine it. He reached for the shovel once more, "You should just let me carry it."

"Barf Bag! I can handle myself! I've been here a week! Can't you please have some faith in me?"

"Mr. Sir said I'm supposed to watch you," Barf Bag started to defend himself, unsure of why Jaden was so angry.

"To make sure I don't get in trouble! Not to watch me like a fucking hawk! I don't need a babysitter, Barf Bag," Jaden snatched up her stuff and strutted back to camp swiftly, one hand still pressed to her cheek.

Zigzag was relaxing on his bed when Jaden came by, still upset with Barf Bag for how he was treating her. He watched her unbutton the top of her jumpsuit irately, practically throwing the sleeves off when she finished.

"What's got you so worked up?" he finally asked, a bored stare on face.

Jaden turned to him and felt part of her anger melt away when she saw his blue eyes. A small sigh escaped her lips, "The bruise is sore and I hit it with my shovel."

Zigzag blinked before scoffing, "Right."

A trick Jaden had come to be rather good at was telling only certain pieces of the truth and sometimes warping them a little. She preferred to not think of it as lying as it never really reached that full extent and it wasn't the best skill to have, she knew, but it did save her lots of awkward situations and explanations.

Jaden expected Zigzag to say something else, change the topic, or mention the fact that Squid was pissed off at her, but he just laid on his bed, staring at the roof of the tent. Zigzag and the other D-Tent boys probably didn't care too much about fighting between the tent members, but Jaden found it strange that they weren't curious at all. Was the level of friendship in the tent so easy to break or fracture that no one cared?

Zigzag turned his stare to Jaden again, noticing her watching him, "Can I help you?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something," Jaden remained vague.

"You really pissed Squid off, you know that?" Zigzag's voice suddenly broke the silence that'd grown in the tent.

"Oh, you don't say?"

Shaking his head, Zigzag continued, "Laugh all you want, but Squid doesn't deserve the crap you pulled. One little bruise and you go whining to Mr. Sir for a new guardian. Well congrats, now you've got one that won't take his eyes off you."

Jaden sighed, "You done?" It hadn't been her intent to piss everyone off, but liking boys was dangerous. In order to prevent any unnecessary feelings later, Jaden had broken off her friendship with Squid rather cruelly. It hadn't quite been her choice as Mr. Sir wanted her to have a mentor/guide that knew her secret, but it had been convenient for keeping things steady as a guy in camp. As for Zigzag, well Jaden had a feeling he'd kinda come and go with his friendship as he felt like it. A safe place for her to be with him.

"You know, you're just the type of guy we all pinned you to be," Zigzag stood up, striding to the exit, "a spoiled little brat."

Wincing, Jaden watched him leave. Her solitude comforted her briefly before Barf Bag walked in, clearly having been working up the nerve to talk to her.

"Hear me out," Barf Bag started before Jaden could opened her mouth, "When I realized you were- well, your situation, you have to understand how surprised I was. Then, you revealed that Mr. Sir and the other counselors and probably the Warden too, all know about it as well. I mean, can you blame me for being surprised? So, when Mr. Sir asked me to take over Squid's job, I kinda felt…confused. I mean, do I watch you as, well, a guy who can hold his own or as a-"

"Barf Bag," Jaden held up a hand, pausing him, "it's okay. Listen, I know what you're trying to do it's just, don't push it. You're treating me like I'm a fragile little girl and you have to remember that I never got that experience. I've been a boy since the day I was born, only a few days in the year did I ever get the chance to understand that that wasn't true."

Barf Bag nodded and sat down on his bed, across from Jaden, "So, why are you in this situation? I mean, not only here at camp, but why do you have to…?"

Taking a deep breath Jaden started to explain her story to him. She kept things as detailed as possible about her childhood and how she was raised as a boy. He sat there and listened intently, never interrupting or asking questions. It felt nice to explain things to someone for the first time as everyone that knew her situation, aside from Barf Bag, had been told the short version of the story or they knew Jaden's mother.

After explaining everything, Barf Bag sat in silence, just thinking on what he'd learned about the black haired girl. Her green eyes stared at him peacefully, allowing him the time to absorb everything that was in the story. Honestly, it surprised her that he'd just listened the entire time, and that they hadn't been interrupted by one of the boys walking in, but it was about the time they all headed to the Wreck Room, some might even have headed to the Mess Hall already.

"So, you really have no choice. Had you gone to prison, your father would've found out you were a girl because you'd never be able to go to a male prison, not even the judge would be able to pull those kinds of strings," Barf Bag slowly put pieces of the story together.

"That's right. The judge knew if I went to jail, I'd lose everything my mother worked for and everything I've worked for. I would be in far more danger if my father knew I'm a girl," Jaden kept her tone hushed as she said she was a girl. It felt strange to hear herself say it so casually, almost natural.

Barf Bag nodded, "So you didn't actually beat up your brother or kidnap him."

"Right," Jaden nodded, "it was my father's word against mine. The only thing I'm grateful for is that he can't beat Tyler without me there."

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes, I wonder if he beat him just to irritate me, but I might just paranoid that that man hated me. Even if that's not the case, he can't beat Tyler without someone to blame it on. In a way, this is a small blessing, my being sent here, that is."

Barf Bag raised an eyebrow, "You really see some amount of good in everything don't you?"

"Not to try and paint a sad picture, but it really did help me when I was growing up," Jaden sighed as she stood up, "we should head to the mess hall."

Barf Bag agreed, following her casually into the large room. They entered the mess and sat down with their food. The rest of the boys at their table went silent when they got there, and they didn't even try to make it subtle.

"So, uh, Jaden, you're picking up the pace on your digging," X-Ray was the first to break the silence.

Jaden, surprised that X-Ray, of all the guys, was the one trying to start a conversation, "Yeah, I guess I'm just getting used to it."

"Everyone does eventually, but you're doing it in a week. I gotta give you credit. You might be ready for a nickname soon."

A small smile cross Jaden's lips before Squid scoffed. His scoff turned into a chuckle, "Nah, man, he's too much of a wuss."

"What has gotten into you, man?" X-Ray turned his attention to the tall boy, "You've been like this all day."

"Looks like Jaden didn't tell anyone. After he got hit, he went crying to Mr. Sir after his shower. That's why he and Barf Bag took so long last night to get back to the tent. He asked Mr. Sir to replace me for not doing my job right, isn't that right, Jaden?"

Barf Bag hadn't heard any of this and glanced at Jaden, catching the flash of pain and regret that crossed her eyes, a swift understanding reaching him. Jaden lied to Squid to make him angry at her; to make him hate her and stop talking to her. The part that confused Barf Bag was why Squid fell for it. Jaden did a complete girl move and Squid fell for it as though he were dealing with a girl.

"Mom told to you to keep me out of trouble, to keep an eye on me, and does this look like you've been doing your job?" Jaden pointed to her face, keeping a serious look present.

Zigzag was the only one not surprised with the story, but part of him was curious about what changed between how she reacted to the hit in front of them and then how she was reacting right now.

"Wait, you mean you asked Mr. Sir to give you a new mentor because of that?" Armpit asked, his face scrunched in confusion.

"Yeah hold a minute, Jaden, what happened? You were rather proud of what you'd done last night, but now you're acting like a chick," X-Ray pointed out making something inside Jaden freeze.

Barf Bag knew that comment had to terrify her since she had been able to hide her gender for her whole life until now. He watched her closely, his eyes analyzing every change in her as her eyes slowly moved to X-Ray.

"Whatever," Jaden didn't talk for the rest of dinner. Squid didn't get the satisfaction he expected from pointing out Jaden's actions against him. He wasn't sure where it went wrong, but something about how she'd just resigned in the end disturbed him. In every other situation at camp so far, she'd pulled through, said it wasn't tough or that she'd adjust. Now, it was just sad. She quit. Gave in and completely let herself lose.

Barf Bag was rather disturbed by this change as well. He wasn't all that sure about why, but Jaden quitting felt wrong.

"Hey, are you alright?" Barf Bag asked as he escorted her to the showers.

Jaden paused when she reached the stall she always used, a hand on the door, "I'm just tired. It was hotter than normal today and I the heat just went straight to my head, you know?"

"Jaden," Barf Bag started, but Jaden had already entered the shower stall and closed it behind her, "well, I guess I'll head back to the tent. There's a counselor watching so don't worry about getting caught."

Barf Bag waited for a reply, but only received silence. He returned to the tent and joined in on the other guys' conversations. Squid was rather quiet once Barf Bag joined in, clearly angry that of all the guys to take his job it was Barf Bag; the guy who got sick everyday and could barely hold his dinner through the night. How was he supposed to help Jaden more than Squid?

After thinking over what he'd just thought, Squid realized he sounded like a jealous boyfriend. It was terrifying enough to him that being replaced stirred up so much anger, but now he was starting to be spiteful toward the guy who'd replaced him?

"Hey, Squid, you okay?" Zigzag asked, trying to keep his voice low so the other boys wouldn't stop talking amongst themselves to listen to them.

Squid sighed, "I don't know. Something about that boy just drives me up the wall. He is way too feminine, it's making us all loopy."

Zigzag did agree with him slightly. Jaden was very feminine looking and it did make the guys act a little strange around him, but it was just that he was the closest thing to a girl they'd all seen in a while.

"Don't let him bother you, man. He's just a weird dude," Zigzag patted Squid's back right as Jaden walked into the tent.

Zigzag glanced at Jaden and focused back on Squid before he noticed something unusual. Jaden's hair wasn't wet. He had just taken a shower right? Thinking back on it, Zigzag came to realize that Jaden's hair was never wet when he returned from the shower and even when they worked all day in the hot sun, it never seemed to be affected by his sweat.

Zigzag wondered if maybe he was just being crazy or stupid, but something was off about Jaden. If he wanted to get to the bottom of it, he'd have to keep an eye on her. Strange as the thought was to him, he wanted to understand just what about this 'guy' drew out something in all the other members of D-Tent.

Jaden sighed as she sat on her bed, but she could feel someone's eyes on her. It was then she noticed Zigzag was just staring at her, a rather focused, intense stare. There even appeared to be a touch of curiosity in his blue eyes. Jaden felt like she was naked with how he was looking at her. It wasn't malicious or anything negative, but the intensity made her feel insecure and unusual.

She shook her head and rested on her bed, turning her back to him. Jaden resisted the shudder that tried to consume her body, still feeling the penetrating stare he held over her. It was a slow, torturous spiral into unconsciousness for Jaden that night…

* * *

So I hoped you enjoyed! The plot thickened a little! ^-^ Yay! Gotta love some twists and turns! Next chapter will be out soon! Reviews are always loved! I thank whoever reviewed anonymously! Made me wanna finish this chapter by the end of the day and it's 11:37pm for me so I'm happy to say my goal was met! Also, don't forget to vote in the poll on my profile about Jaden's nickname! After I post next chapter, I'm gonna take down the poll!


	5. Watchful Eyes

**As Days Go By…**

Disclaimer: I only own my 4 original characters. Everything else belongs to the author of Holes, Louis Sachar.

Chapter 5: Watchful eyes

It'd been three days since the arguments with Squid, Zigzag and the other D-Tent boys. Jaden had managed to stay friends with most of them, but Squid was someone she couldn't approach. It no longer mattered what she wanted, she simply couldn't look at him. The mere thought of him made her fill with panic and she didn't understand it. It made her terrified that she'd actually managed to create a hate for him in her body, but what else could it be?

Though, Jaden was slightly distracted by some unexpected good news. The letter she'd received a few days ago had been from Tyler. He was writing to her in secret and mailing the letters with the help of the mailman. Everything Jaden thought was happening at home was actually happening. Hank couldn't beat Tyler anymore because there was no one to blame it on and it'd just prove Jaden innocent if Tyler suddenly showed up with a ton of bruises.

Jaden almost cried when she read the letter because it meant her brother was safe for a good total of two years and then she'd be able to take him far away from Hank. It felt so good to hear something positive come of her time at Camp Green Lake, so much so that Jaden almost felt excited to dig.

When she was digging, however, that bright sense of hope diminished slightly. Some of it was still there, pushing her forward enough to dig at a steady rate and keep things positive, but even the joy of writing to and from her brother didn't fight off the feelings Squid pulled from her.

Barf Bag had backed off considerably on watching Jaden, but he still kept an eye on her. Especially since some of the guys had become wary of how feminine Jaden was. Due to their rather oblivious nature, even Barf Bag would admit it, the guys hadn't noticed Jaden growing more and more into a woman. He hadn't noticed until he saw her in the showers and then Mr. Sir confirming it.

Jaden's digging pace now matched up with Zigzag's, passing Barf Bag's, which pleased the tall blue-eyed boy. Now, it wasn't because Jaden was improving that pleased Zigzag, but the fact that he could keep a constant eye on her and observe her. He was far more subtle that Barf Bag and, as he liked to think, far more observant.

Jaden hadn't noticed a strange thing about Zigzag at all, despite his stolen glances. All Jaden knew was that he was still a little miffed about how she'd treated Squid, but he had mellowed out a good bit since then.

"Hey, Jaden," X-Ray walked over to her and Barf Bag enjoying their lunch, a smirk on his lips.

Jaden didn't like the tone of his voice and gave him a quizzical stare, her brows furrowed, but her mouth remained shut. Barf Bag noticed Jaden's discomfort and was prepared for the worst, but what came out of X-Ray's mouth was not what he'd expected.

"You're so girly-looking that you've got a fan. We've all noticed the way Barf Bag follows you or will do things for you. You've got him wrapped around your finger, huh? It won't be long before he digs your hole for you, huh?"

Jaden knew there were a few meanings to X-Ray's last statement, but the entire thing was ridiculous. She was rather enraged that he'd dare to call one of his fellow tent members gay, or even suggest the idea of it. Zigzag and Squid barely left each others' sides and yet X-Ray said nothing against that.

"Right, cause I dig faster than Barf Bag so it's not like I'd be done before him or anything anyways," Jaden shrugged, sarcasm dripping off her tongue with each word.

X-Ray scoffed, "You didn't deny that you've gotten yourself a little pet."

"I figured I didn't need to as it's obviously wrong," Jaden retorted, trying to keep herself calm before she picked another fight with the boys.

Armpit glanced between the two, a little torn between the arguments being made. Jaden was girly, yes, but Barf Bag wasn't gay. Why Jaden didn't snap back was what surprised Armpit. He knew Jaden could easily make a powerful retort, and yet he hadn't.

X-Ray shook his head, "Don't forget to be safe boys."

Jaden let out the breath she'd been holding back as X-Ray walked away. Barf Bag glanced at her, "You okay?"

"I will be. Once I imagine that my shovel is connecting with X-Ray's head when I start digging again."

Barf Bag couldn't deny Jaden was pretty, but her temper made her rather terrifying. Though, perhaps it had been the product of her being raised as a tough boy. It made Barf Bag wonder just how much of who Jaden was was part of how she was raised.

The work day progressed slowly from there. X-Ray kept up with the smart comments, but Jaden was still unsure why'd he'd started that in the first place. Was he really that bored with everything going on around them or was it just that he felt like being an ass?

The Wreck Room was filled with more of the campers than usual, a thought that stumped Jaden seeing as how even on a normal day the room had too many people. Most were crowded around the pool table, taking bets on boys Jaden couldn't see. Betting at Camp Green Lake was actually a rather interesting game as they had no money or poker chips, but they did have shower tokens.

It was disturbing when the same person always lost and, unfortunately, reeked like a first grader's science project for a week. Though, that was how the game was played. If he knew he wasn't the best poker player, he shouldn't even be near the table.

Glancing around the room, Jaden opted to test her luck at the poker table. With most of the guys flooding to watch a pool match, it seemed like a safe bet that she'd be able to play fairly. Another thing with "Camp Green Lake Poker," it was never fair when other people watched. They'd mouth whatever the person sitting in front of them had or they'd make a gesture similar to the ones used when counting cards in black jack.

"Got room for one more?" Jaden asked, stepping up to the table. The boys glanced at her, finding her an easy target, and nodded. Zero was the only other guy from D-Tent at the table and Jaden found a strange comfort in that.

The boys who were dealing were boys from F-Tent, if Jaden remembered right, and their names were John and Shane. It was a simple four person game of Texas Hold'em and Jaden found the F-Tent boys' faces easy to read. They had a brief moment of excitement cross their eyes when they had good hands or a solid poker face when they had nothing. Zero just looked uninterested the whole time so Jaden was unsure of when he was bluffing. It was slightly ironic that the person she was likely to lose to was in her own tent.

"Come on girly-boy, are you in or not?" Shane asked, chewing a piece of paper like it was gum. It was a terrible and disgusting habit, but Jaden realized that gum addictions ran rampant in Camp Green Lake.

"I'm in," Jaden tossed a shower token onto the table. Because they each only had so many, they often checked and only a few were won in a pot. However, Jaden noticed how quickly the game was transforming.

Zero folded, leaving Jaden alone with the F-Tent boys. John and Shane went all in on their bets and when Jaden thought on it, she reminded herself that she had secretly kept one of her tokens so even if she lost, she'd be able to take a shower at least once. She gave her cards a last look over before calling the bet. When John flipped his cards he had two pair; a risky thing to bet all your showers on. Shane, on the other hand, had a straight, Queen high. That was the type of thing to bet big on at camp. Jaden, too, shared the straight, Queen high. The difference being Jaden had a Queen of Hearts and Shane had the Queen of Spades. The win went to Shane, but he split the pot evenly.

"You played good," Shane smiled, "and we had the same hand."

Rather relieved that some of the boys had manners, in some things, Jaden smiled back and thanked him. She took the half of the chips she won and Zero kept his winnings having since folded. Folding during a round that ended in going all in meant the folder could keep his chips, at least, by the rules of camp. The game would end after the first 'all in.'

The boys by the pool table suddenly became more rowdy and shouting had started. Recognizing one of the voices, or rather the low drawl present in it, Jaden shot a glance to Zero before the two pushed their way into the group. Squid stood up straight in front of a boy named Kyle. Kyle was the second biggest kid at camp, and had a worse temper than the one that'd hit Jaden.

"What's going on?" Jaden turned to Barf Bag who was terrified with what was going on.

"They were just playing and then Kyle's cue broke and he scratched, so he didn't think it should count, but Squid and Zigzag say it should."

Jaden turned back to the scene in front of her and she noticed his hands twitching, slowly starting to clench. Feeling her heart rate pick up a bit, Jaden found her body moving before she could think through what was about to happen. Kyle's fist moved fast, but luckily Jaden had a head start. The full punch went straight into Jaden's stomach. She was forced to clench her teeth and her eyes tried to water, but she let her anger slowly ooze out of her body, replacing the pain with adrenaline temporarily.

"What is that?" Kyle asked, angry someone interfered.

Jaden, slowly standing straight, her eyes narrowed, "I figured…you would do that."

"Really? Then perhaps I should hit you again, make sure you get the idea to never get in my way again!"

"Threaten me, fine, but not the other guys in my tent," Jaden growled. Her body was starting to feel the full force of the blow now and it was getting hard to see straight. Shaking off the urge to lie down, Jaden remained strong in front of the group that surrounded them.

X-Ray walked forward, standing with her, "Yeah, man, we don't take it well when other people mess with us."

Zigzag and Squid agreed, briefly fighting away the surprise that Kyle had been set to fight with Squid, but Jaden had taken the hit instead. Zero and Barf Bag remained in the surrounding crowd while Magnet and Armpit had moved a little forward to make their presence known.

"Whatever, man, you got a crazy kid in your tent. Walking in front of a fist for others," Kyle mumbled as he walked off.

The crowd dissipated shortly after the argument ended and while X-Ray patted Jaden on the shoulder, she collapsed.

"Woah, Jaden!" X-Ray knelt down, checking the girl's vitals. Zigzag carried him back to the tent and set him on his bed, slightly disturbed by how light he was. He glanced down at Jaden and noticed that he was even more feminine in his sleep. His face looked strangely peaceful and the way his eyes were shaped stood out, the way his mouth was slightly open was almost cute looking. Catching his thoughts, Zigzag stared at Jaden, confused about what he just stirred in him.

"Man, that was cool," Armpit started, "for all his weirdness, Jaden just took a hit from Kyle the Hammer for Squid."

Squid wasn't sure what to make of the entire situation. Wasn't Jaden mad at him and vice versa? Didn't they hate each other?

"Well, some of us should go tell Mom and get him examined. Don't want any internal bleeding and what not. Someone should stay here and watch over him," X-Ray explained.

All the other guys wanted to partake in the story telling so X-Ray left Zero to the task. Zero glanced at Jaden and noticed she was starting to stir. Thinking she was still too far gone to hear him, he mumbled to himself, "Why would you do that?"

"Because I don't like seeing people get hurt, especially not…" Jaden caught what she was about to say and immediately changed it, "people I'm friends with."

"I thought you and Squid hated each other," Zero pointed out.

Sighing, Jaden opened her eyes, "Nah, we're just fighting. I thought I could take being mad at him all the time and vice versa, but it was just weird. He helped me out and I shoved it back in his face. It was only right to fix things."

Zero nodded, accepting that answer. Jaden wasn't so surprised that Zero had spoken to her, but it was different. She had no idea what he'd sound like so when he opted to actually talk it was interesting to put a voice with his face.

Feeling his stare on her, Jaden turned her head slightly, "Something wrong?"

"I was just thinking," Zero said casually. Jaden suspected he was telling the truth as she'd seen him zone out before while just staring at something.

"Ah," the girl took a deep breath, trying to ease the pain radiating from her stomach only to make it feel worse.

Recognizing her pain, Zero went to the tent opening and watched for Dr. Pendanski or Mr. Sir. When the former appeared, he ducked over to his cot and just watched.

"So I hear you took a punch for one of the other boys," Dr. Pendanski started, his nose covered in sun screen from earlier.

"Yeah," Jaden nodded, keeping her breathing even and her body still. Even the rise and fall of her chest was shallow as she was avoiding any discomfort or pain.

"I'm going to need to look at it," Dr. Pendanski glanced at Zero briefly.

Having understood his concern for having anyone in the room, even if it was Zero, Jaden turned her focus to the boy once again, "Hey, Zero, you can go join the other guys. I think Mom has it covered."

Nodding, Zero left the tent, throwing one glance back at Jaden, slightly curious as to why she'd seemed eager for him to get out of the room.

Mom allowed Jaden to unbutton her jumpsuit and he helped her sit up to remove the top half of it. He rolled up the bottom of her undershirt and sighed when he saw the bruising. (A/N: I'm tired of typing his full name, so it's just Mom now)

"Well, it's bruised, but nothing unusual. It'll take some time to heal so you're going to be doing work around the camp until the Warden clears you to dig holes again."

"No, I'd rather keep digging holes," Jaden started to sit up, not wanting to appear weak. She'd been punched by someone much larger than her before, but the problem was that she'd been prepared for that and was able to move her body to take the blows as light as possible. Kyle had sucker punched her.

"Now, I'm all for your courage, but in the end you can barely move. You can wash the Warden's car for now and help move kitchen supplies," Mom settled the argument, much to Jaden's dismay. She'd rather have toughed it out, but in the end, she had no power here.

After Mom left, Jaden took the time to try and sleep again. Though, the rest of D-Tent wasn't so keen to the idea. Just as her consciousness was slipping away, Jaden was jolted awake by one of the guys flopping onto the foot of her bed.

"Hey! Look, Sunshine's awake. Mornin' Sunshine!" Squid greeted her with a smile, holding the toothpick in one hand.

"Sunshine?" Jaden asked, the sleep she almost had slowly fading away.

Armpit sat on the bed beside her, "Yeah, you're Sunshine cause you're always happy."

"That and he's so girly," X-Ray added with a smirk.

Jaden glanced to Zero who was trying not to smile. She let out a sigh that hurt more than she expected before nodding, "Well, I'll take what I can get!"

"Hey man, thanks for stepping in there. Not only did you take a punch for us, but you also stopped a fight before it started! That takes talent around here, but I wouldn't try that too often. Kyle won't take it kindly that you're messing with him and his fun," Squid pointed out, a warning in his eyes.

After taking a moment to consider that fact, Jaden realized that Squid was probably trying to warn her about already stepping in too much. It was what Jaden imagined prison would be like; you interfere in a fight and you become the next victim. Especially if you get the fighter in trouble with the Warden.

"So, what are you gonna do now? You gotta be feeling that punch," Armpit asked as politely as possible.

Sighing again, despite the previous time being painful, Jaden looked out the tent, "Mom is putting me on car and kitchen duty. Looks like I got a break to look forward to!"

"Man, you're the luckiest dog out here! If I knew I was gonna be offered that, I woulda taken the punch!" Squid laughed.

Jaden smiled and turned to look at Zigzag who had been unusually quiet. He was laughing with the guys, but he didn't make a smartass statement like usual. It felt strange to not get his opinion on the matter, but she wasn't about to ask him if he had any comment to make. It wasn't like he'd held back before, maybe he just felt bad about the situation rather than find it amusing?

Either way, she'd once again earned her place among the guys. Jaden knew now to be careful with what she said because until she had a firmer standing with them, they would turn on her again if she was careless. Regardless, she was just happy to have them all on her side again, though she didn't know that Zigzag was still intent on figuring her out.

Had she known that her secret was at risk, perhaps she would've been more careful over the next few weeks.

(A/N: So It's been a while yeah? Sorry, but school can be a pain in ass...And I was shelving this until I had time, but I got a really nice review from DarkAngel620 that inspired me to write! Sorry if this chapter seems short, I have to figure out the course of the story again! :P )


End file.
